Display and vending case.



" No. 743,182. y PATENTBD Nov. 3,1903.`

W. MEYER.

DISPLAY AND VENDING CASE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 27, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

W/T/VESSES.'

w: Noam; PETERS co. pHoro-umn. wAsumgoN. nv c PATENTED NOV. 3, 1903.

W. MEYER. DISPLAY AND VENDING CASE.

APPIUATION FILED MAY 27, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

Wl TNESSES:

No. Mensa miran STATES I'Patented November 3, IQB-i.

WILLIAM MEYER, OF WEST HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY.

DISPLAY AND VENDING CASE.

SEECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 743, L82, dated November 3, 1903. Application filed May 27, 1903. Serial No. 1581940. (No model.l

display and vending cases; and one object` that I have in view is the production of an improved structure wherein the contents may be displayed advantageously to the view of the public, and at the same time provision is made for obtaining ready access to any one of a large number of magazines for the purpose of removing any particular article without opening the case.

Further objects ofthe invention are to provide means for retaining the articles or packages in the magazines, to make provision for adjustment of the magazines, so as to accommodate articles of diierent sizes, to allow easy access to be obtained to the interior of the cabinet, and to provide for the removal or replacement of a number of series of magazines from the cabinet.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the course of the subjoined description, and the novelty will be defined by the annexed claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forminga part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l Vis a vertical sectional elevation illustrating a portion of a display andr vending case constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view, the plane of thesection being indicated by the dotted line 2 2 of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section on the plane of theV dotted line 3 3 of Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view, on an enlarged scale, illustrating certain parts which are employed to produce one of the magazines; and Fig. 5 is another detail perspective view, on an enlarged scale, illustrating a yieldable flap associated with one of the exposed-front magazines.

Y In carrying my invention into practice I construct a case or cabinet A with a number of sections A' A2. In Fig. l of the drawings I have shown the case as having a complete section A and a portion of the section A2; but it will be understood that the case may have any desired number of sections-three, four, or more in numberaccording to the desired capacity of the apparatus.

The case has a solid back a and a similar top a', and the adjoining sections are separated by intervening partitions o?, the entire case having all of its parts united substantially and adapted to be supported on a wall or other surface by any approved lneans,

such as angle-brackets, one of which is indicated at c3 in Fig. 3 of the drawings. In the embodiment of the invention shown by said drawings the front of the case is produced by the employment of a series of doors B, which preferably consist of sash-frames b, adapted to hold panes or lights of glass b'; but it is evident that the detailed construction of the doors may be modified by a skilled constructor.

Each section of the case is provided atits up per portion with a front rail c,having a groove c, which opens downwardly, and the front of the case is also provided with a` lower rail c2, having agroove c3 which opens upwardly. The rails c c2 are secured to the front of the casein the same vertical plane,and the grooves c c3 of said rails are in opposing coincident relation,

whereby flanges b2 on the top and bottom rails of the door-frames b are adapted to t in the grooves of the rails in a way to permit thedoors to have slidable movement in a horizontal plane when one of the doors is withdrawn from the casing. To facilitate the removal of each door, the vertical height of the door measured from the bottom edge of the lower {iange b2 to the top edge of the upper flange b2 is less than the distance between the grooves c' c2 in the front rails, whereby the door is capable of a limited lifting movement, so that its upper llange b2 will slide in the groove c' when the door is raised for the purpose of withdrawing the .lower ange b2 from the groove c3 of the lower rail.

The lower rail c2 at each section of the case lies in a horizontal plane above the bracket IOO 0.3 and the lower portion of the back wall a, v

as clearly shown by Figs. l and 3 of the drawings, thus providing an opening C in the lower front portion of the case and below the sliding doors, for the purpose of permitting the operator to thrust his hand through said opening in a way to obtain easy access to a plurality of series of magazines which are contained in the compartment A2 of each section of the case.

Fixed plates or battons 5 6 are secured to the opposing sides of the end wall a4 and the partitions d2 of the case in the section A thereof, said battons 5 being inthe same horizontal plane as the battons 6. (See Fig. 1.) On these fixed battons are adaptedl to rest the cleats 7, which support a plurality of series of magazines, the'latter being indicated at D E F. The magazines in the series D E F are of different sizes in order tocontain packages or articles which are on the market and are of diorent sizes, and in the arrangement shown by Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings the magazines of small size contained in the series D are disposed at the front portion of the case immediately back of the doors B. The next sizes of magazines in the series E are immediately behind the series D, and the 1argest-sized magazines in the series F are at the back portion of the case. The magazines in the series D are not as high as the magazines in the series E, and the magazines of the series F are somewhat longer than the magazines of the series E, thus disposing the progressively longer series of magazines one in rear of the other in order that their lower ends may extend below one another, as shown by Figure 3, whereby the operator is able to obtain access to the lowermost article or package in either of the series of magazines D E F. Each series of magazines is constructed in substantially the same way, except that the magazines of the series D, which are exposed to view through the doors B, are made to retain their packages or articles in position by novel forms of devices that present an attractive appearance and do not obscure the view of the articles or packages or the labels thereon.

In Fig. 4 of the drawings I have shown a construction especially adapted for the magazines contained in the series E F, and I will now proceed to describe the construction of one series of these magazines E F, it being understood that the description of the one construction applies equally to the other construction. Reference is had to Figs. 1, 2, and 4 of the drawings, wherein 8 designates a series of magazine-partitions disposed in vertical order and in parallel relation, and these partitions are provided at their front and back edges with vertical plates 9 10. The width of the plates exceeds the thickness of the magazine-partitions, and the parts are secured firmly one to the other in a way to produce vertical grooves or channels on the respective sides of the partitions 8. The series of partitions 8, having their plates 9 10, are supported within the case by pairs of rails 11 11a and 12 12, the end portions of those rails being secured to the blocks 7, which rest on the battons 5 6, that are fixed within the case A. The rails 11 11a are'disposed in the same horizontal plane at the upper portion of the casing, while the rails 12 12a are disposed near the lower part of the casing. The two pairs of rails serve as the means for supporting the entire serios of partitions forming one series of magazines, and these partitions may be fastened to the two pairs of rails rigidly by any suitable devices, although I prefer to adjustably connect the partitions to the rails in order thatsaid partitions may be adjusted lengthwise along the rails for the purpose of varying the width of the individual magazines in the series.v

As shown by the drawings, the magazinepartitions and the plates 9 10 are made of different pieces of material, the partitions being of wood, while the plates are of metal; but I do not limit myself to this particular construction, because the parts' may be made of metal in sheet or other form, and they may be produced in one piece, if desired. The means for adj ustably securing each magazinepartition to the pair of rails is represented in the form of a plate 13 and clips 14. The plate 13 is secured to the top edge of the partition 8 and is provided with bent ends 13, said end portions of the plate being disposed in lapping relation to the rails 11 11a. (See Fig. 4.) The clips 14 are secured to the plates 9 10 of the partition, and they are arranged to tit snugly to the rails 12 12", whereby the partition and its plates are securely connected to tho two pairs of rails, and the parts may be adjusted or slid lengthwise of the rails. Each partition is provided at its lower end with foot-flanges 15, formed by means of a plate, which is secured to the lower end of said partition. This plato 15 provides two ianges, on which may rest the adjacent edges of two series of packages or articles. It will be understood that the series of partitions 8, with their plates 9, 10, and 15, form a series of magazine spaces or chambers which are disposed in the same longitudinal plane with respect to the casing and which afford the means for retaining the series of stacks or piles of articles adapted to be placed in the magazine-chambers, because the lowermost article of each stack or pile is adapted to rest on the foot iianges or plates of adjacent partitions, and the plates 9 10 aord abntments for engagement with the articles of each stack or pile in a way to prevent them from displacement toward the front or rear of the casing.

The series of magazines D are produced by the' employment of devices which resemble the means employed in the construction of the magazines E F. The front series of magazines D have a plurality of parallel partitions 16 and pairs of upper and lower rails similarl to the rails 11 11a and 12 12a. The lower ends of the partitions are provided with the footplates 15, forming the anges or ledges on IOO which the lowermost articles of the stacks or piles are adapted to rest; but in this form of construction of the magazines D, I prefer -to omit the plates 9 10 on the front edges of the series of partitions 16. The upper ends of the partitions 16 are equipped with plates similar to the plates 13, having bent ends similar to the ends 1,3, adapted for engagement with upper pairs of rails similar to the rails 11 11a. Instead of employing plain clips 14 to engage with the rails 12 12EL I employ angle-plates 17, having laterally extending arms 18. These plates are fastened to the partitions 16 in position to engage with the rails 12 12a, and the plates have their arms 1S extended beyond the side faces of the partitions 16 in positions to receive the retaining wires or rods 19, the latter taking the place of the front plates 9 on the partitions 8 of the series of magazines E F. These rods or wires .19 extend upwardly from the plates 17 adjacent to and on opposite sides of the front edges of the partitions16, and the upper ends of said wires or rods are securely fastened to angle-plates 20, which are fixed to the front edges of the partitions 16 at the upper ends thereof. (See Fig. 1.)

The seriesoffrontmagazinesDareequipped with flaps or doors 21, each having a pair of lugs or ears 22, provided with openings adapted to receive a hinge-rod 23, which is supported by eyes 24, fastened to the front edges of the partitions 16 at points below the front rail 12. This rod 23 passes through the series of horizontally-alined eyes 24, which are secured to the partitions 16, so that the rod 23 is common to all the series of flaps or doors at the lower portion of the magazines D. The doors or aps are hung individually on this rod, and they are pressed normally into the plane of the magazines D by the employment of suitable springs 25. As shown by Fig. 5,' each springis coiled around a part of the rod 23 and provided with arms 26 27, one of which engages with the rail 12, while the other acts againstthe door or iiap 21 in a way to press the latter against the lowermost article or package in the stack or pile iu each magazine D.

Each section A A2 of the case is provided above the magazines with a moistening chamber or receptacle Gr, adapted to contain an absorbent filling g and having a perforated bottom g', said moistening-receptacle being supported by a cleat g2 and springs g3 in the case and above the magazines.

Theimproved case ot myinvention is adapted to have its plurality of magazines filled or charged with packages of different sizes while said magazines remain in the case, or the magazines may be individually withdrawn from the case for the purpose of filling or charging the same. If it is desired to obtain access to the magazines, it is only necessary to remove one of the doors B, thus permitting the other doors of the case to be moved horizontally in the grooved rails. Itis evident that the front series of magazines D may be removed from the case by lifting the blocks 7 from engagement with the battens 5 and withdrawing the entire series of front magazines collectively from the case. In like manner the middle series of magazines E and the rear series of magazines F may be successively withdrawn from the case, if desired, and these three series of magazines may be replaced in the case in successive order and in an obvious manner. It is not necessary, however, to remove the magazines for the purpose of charging or filling the same, because the operator can place the packages in the lower part of the magazines, the superposed packages or articles of each stack being lifted by pressure of the hand from below in a way to place other packages in the lower part of the magazines.

The opening C at the lower portion of the case permits the operator to thrust the hand into said case for easily obtaining access to the lowermost package inthe largepnumber of stacks or piles of packages contained in the plurality of magazines in each of the series D E F. The articles or packages contained in the front series of magazines D are all exposed to view, so that the operator can easily select the particular package and the public can ascertain the stock carried bythe merchant.

The case in the present invention is adapted to display and dispense articles or packages of any character; but in the drawingsI have shown the case as being proportioned and designed for containing packages of cigarettes, tobacco, and the like. It is evident, however, that the form, proportion, size, and materials employed in the .manufacture of the case can be modified in material respects within the scope of the appended claims.

IOO

Having thus described my invention, I

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A display and vending case having an open lower end, rows of partitions supported within said case, the partitions of one row being longer than the partitions of an adjacent row and all of said partitions projecting into or through the open lower end ofthe case, each row of partitions forming a series of magazines, and article-supporting ledges at the lower ends of the partitions, the ledges of each pair being relatively spaced to leave an opening for access to the under part of an article adapted to be supported by the ledges.

2. A display and vending case having an open lower end, supporting-rails within said casing, and partitions connected to said rails IIO and forming a plurality of magazines, said zines, and article-supporting ledges on the partitions; said partitions and their ledges being adjustable laterally with said case.

4. A display and vending case having an open lower end, a plurality of partitions supported in said case, article-supporting ledges on the lower accessible portions of the partitions, each pair of ledges being spaced to form openings which allow access to articles in the magazines formed by the partitions, and yieldable flaps at the open front sides of the magazines.

5. A display and vending case having an open lower end, groups of supporting-rails mounted in said case, companion pairs of said rails being disposed in the same Vertical planes, and a plurality of rows of partitions, each row being connected to the companion pairs of rails and forming a plurality of rows of magazines, the partitions of one row .being longer than and depending below the partitions of an adjacent row.

6. A display and vending case having an open lower end, av plurality of rows of partitions supported within said case and forming like rows of magazines, Vertical article-retainers on the front edges of the partitions, and yieldable flaps at the open front sides of the front rows of magazines.

7. A display and vending case having horizontal supporting-rails and a series of partitions carried by said rails to produce a series of magazine-spaces, and means on said partitions for retaining articles or packages in said magazine-spaces.

8. A display and vending case having two series of rails supported removably therein,

- and a series` of magazine-partitions carried by said rails and assembled to produce a series of parallel magazine-chambers.

9. A display and vending case having two pairs of rails, a series of parallel partitions fitted to said rails to produce a series of magazine chambers or spaces, and means for adjustably connect-ing said partitions to said rails.

10. A display and vending case having horizontal supporting-rails, partitions provided Mam with front and back flanges and with footlanges, said partitions being assembled to produce a series of magazine-spaces, and clips carried by the partitions and engaging with said rails for adj'ustably supporting the partitions on the rails.

1l. In a display and vending case, a series of magazines consisting of supporting-rails, a series of partitions carried by said rails and assembled to produce a series of magazinespaces, and flaps or doors at the lower front portions of the magazine-spaces.

12. A display or vending case having a series of magazines formed by a series of partitions, and pairs of retaining-rods supported by the partitions adjacent to and on opposite sides of the front edges of said partitions.

13. A display and vending case having a series of magazines formed by a series of partitions having means for retaining articles or packages in place in the magazine-spaces, a hinge-rod extending across the partitions, and a series of yieldable doors supported by said rods at the lower front portions of the magazine-spaces.

14. A display and vending case having fixed upper and lower battens therein, and a removable magazine supported by said battens, said magazine consisting of horizontal rails, end pieces connecting said rails and adapted for engagement with said battens, and a plurality of partitions carried by the horizontal rails and assembled to form a series of magazine-spaces.

15. In a display and vending case, a series of magazines formed by a plurality of parallel partitions, supporting-rails to which the partitions are secu red, angle-plates attached to the partitions, and retaining-rods fastened to the angle-plates and disposed at the front edges of the partitions.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

VILLIAM MEYER.

Witnesses:

CHAs. MEYER, GUsTAv LUCIUs. 

